"When We Wake" by Karen Healey is about a young girl named Tegan who, after dying and being cryogenically frozen for 100 years, is revived and is now government property. Assuming this story goes about the basic storyline almost all dystopian literatures do, Tegan will soon realize that this society is not what it seems. It may appear to be a perfect utopian society, but in reality it is the exact opposite. When Tegan wakes up, she is locked in a government facility and does not know what happened. This would be frightening news to anyone; everyone she ever cared about would have been dead for a long time. She would never be able to see her friends and family again, the people that she loved would have already moved on. Since she was just a 16 year old girl, she probably did not have any kids who could have become her descendants. Based on the description, the focus of this book is to address the issue of government control over society. This could be interpreted as social critique of today's society and government; could the government keep whoever they wanted locked somewhere, even an innocent teenage girl?
How easy is it to condition an entire population? Could that be what the government is already doing? Mass societal 'brainwashing' and conspiracy theories is all this may sound like; but in reality, it is very easy to 'control' or get others to do something using operant conditioning techniques that I also learned about in psychology class. This article explains something called the Sabido Method, which is just one way media can intertwine with conditioning. "the Sabido Method is based on character development and plot lines that provide the audience with a range of characters that they can engage with — some good, some not so good — and follow as they evolve and change." In other words, the media introduces a character, then through what is commonly known as 'character development,' makes it so the character seems to have changed or become a different person, whether it be better or worse. "Change is the key to the Sabido methodology. Characters may begin the series exhibiting the antithesis of the values being taught, but through interaction with other characters, twists and turns in the plot, and sometimes even outside intervention, come to see the value of the program’s underlying message." What this means is that through the Sabido Method, the underlying message may be displayed as the opposite of what the program's intended message originally is. In other words, it is believed that societies can be conditioned to think different ways through attachment they feel with characters, as they may not realize the change in the characters original ideology. (Social Learning Theory: Bandura, 1977 & Social Cognitive Theory: Bandura, 1986)
Quote: “ “I just ... I just don’t want to stay here much longer. I never see anyone my age.” “You’re under a lot of stress,” he said. “It will get easier.” He sounded as though he meant it. “When are you going to let me out?” I groped for something stupidly far away, just so that he could reassure me. “Like, in a year?” He should have laughed at my ludicrous suggestion. Instead, he looked very serious. “There will probably be a fairly lengthy transition period—for your own health and safety as much as anything.” Ice settled in my stomach. “I don’t want that. I want to leave now.” “Tegan, where will you go?” “That’s up to me,” I told him. “Don’t be so childish.” Wow. I didn’t like him, but I didn’t think Dawson was evil. Patronizing, and with no idea how to talk to teenagers, but not really a bad man. After all, he was in charge of a project trying to save soldier’s lives. But you could have asked anyone in the progressive movements of my time and they’d tell you there were plenty of mostly okay people doing bad things, thinking they were right. People like Alex and Dalmar came up with all sorts of ways to deal with those people, to force them to change what they did. I hadn’t been as into it as they were, but I’d paid attention all the same. What I needed was leverage. And I was the only leverage I had. “I'm not a hunger strike,” I said. “Effective immediately.” ” (Healey, 37-38)
Analysis: A lot has happened in these first few chapters since the introduction; I have learned that back in the 21st century, Tegan signed legal papers to donate her organs or body to science if she were to die suddenly. she did die, but she was then cryogenically frozen and revived more than 100 years later. Because she had signed those papers, Tegan is “property” of the government, and they are keeping her locked in an underground government base and running analysis tests on her. Despite there being nothing in the outside world left for her, Tegan still feels that she has rights and should be able to leave. Tegan asks questions to the Colonel and her doctor Marie but they often avoid her questions and try to change the subject. Tegan decides to use the only ‘leverage’ she has, meaning herself, being she is an asset to the government. She stages a hunger and talking strike to get the Colonel to do as she asks. In this quote, Tegan also talks about her friends Alex and Dalmar who were activists in their time, and how there are “mostly okay people” who would do bad things; but these people thought they were always doing the right thing. Tegan must have seen Colonel Dawson as that almost okay person, who just thought he was doing the right thing. Unfortunately for him, Tegan had plans to get her way which probably set Dawson’s work back, causing him to eventually have to give in and answer some of her questions.
3. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ Besides, Hurfest wasn’t threatening me with anything but his tiny bumblecam, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with that. “Don’t you think you have an obligation to speak to the people of Australia, Tegan?” he said. “They paid a great deal for you with their tax dollars.” That hit a nerve. “I’m a person, not property,” I snarled, and then remembered, “No comment!” Hurfest’s smile sharpened, like a shark scenting blood in the water. I'm a city girl, and I don’t know much about sea predators, but I could tell you that smile was trouble. “Your father was a soldier killed in action, wasn’t he? Do you think only the army should have this technology? “Leave the girl alone,” an older lady told him. Hurfest ignored her. “What do you think about the allegations of the Inheritors of the Earth?” “Never heard of them.” I knew I should shut up, but his voice was burrowing into my ears, and his horrible little camera kept buzzing around my face. There was no way to stop it from getting a good shot, short of smacking it out of the air. Which was assault on private property, Marie had explained to me, and not the kind of legal trouble I needed. “I mean, no comment.” ” (Healey, 54)
Analysis: In this quote Tegan’s doctor and now host, Marie, took her to the supermarket for what was supposed to be some normal shopping, before being ambushed by a news reporter who went on to make things up about Tegan and get her into legal trouble with the government. When he implied that Tegan was property of the government by rudely mentioning how much she ‘cost’ to taxpayers, Tegan became furious and accidentally spoke to the reporter, who then mentioned her words in the media as if she had given him an exclusive interview. All she really did was react the way any teenage girl under that amount of stress would have in her situation. There was some foreshadowing when Tegan mentioned that she could tell that Hurfest’s smile was trouble, since what she said back to him later got her in legal trouble. It is also ironic that Tegan refers to him as a predator and a shark; news reporters are often seen as the same thing in today’s society, because they will continuously badger celebrities and leave them no privacy for a ‘story.’
4. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ People were still burning fossil fuels, which came as a shock. The cars in Melbourne ran on batteries, and no one except the military and the very, very rich were flying anymore. But not everybody had been able to make the switch from fossil fuels, and countries with plentiful oil supplies had managed to offset the cost of switching to clean power by selling oil cheaply to countries that couldn’t afford to go clean, or didn’t have the infrastructure to manage massive electrical grids. Wealthy governments had essentially exported their pollution, and now they blamed the polluters, the thirdies they regarded as stupid and backward because they still used their hoarded oil for transportation and electricity generation, because they ate meat instead of raising protein crops (genetically modified, patented, expensive crops), because they used coal, wood, and gas to cook their food instead of using clean electricity from their nonexistent solar panels. ” (Healey 117)
Analysis: The governments of wealthy countries have all managed to convince their people that everyone else’s ways in the world are twisted, simply because not everyone can afford the casualties of their country. In this dystopian future, war is still going on. ‘Which energy source is the best to use’ is still being argued over. Overpopulation and food and water resources are still both growing problems in this futuristic society, which is what is currently happening in the real world today. Some other places, like third world countries for example, are seen as “stuck in the past” to people today, who have ideals and new age technology that some others still don’t. Personally, I think this quote is completely relatable to today, as I learned last year in my AP Environmental class. Overpopulation is literally a growing problem in less educated countries that don’t know enough about contraceptives. Some regions in the world are unable to grow certain crops, do not have access to drinkable water, and are too poor to afford to buy any of these things. Much like the present, the ‘gap’ between the wealthy and the poor is becoming bigger and bigger in this futuristic society.
5. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “What do you feel about the army spending so much money on Operation New Beginning when they’ve only managed to resurrect one teenage girl?” “I’m very happy I get a second chance, and I hope our soldiers will, too.” “But it’s been billions of dollars, Tegan. You’ve cost this country an enormous amount.” “I'm very grateful.” I said, forcing the words out through my stiff smile. It made sense that Hurfest was playing this note over and over—it was what had made me lose it in that first “interview.” I had been warned about this. But I hated him, and I was furious, and having gotten me to that emotional straining point, this was when he chose to break me entirely. “What do you think of the No Migrant policy, Tegan?” Tatia was making a gesture that meant All-Purpose Reply #3. All-Purpose Reply #3 was, “I think policy should be left to policymakers.” “I think No Migrant is disgusting.” Tatia began waving her hands at me so fast, I thought they might detach from their wrists.Hurfest had perked right up. “Because your resurrection contravenes the stated aims of the policy, which are to preserve Australian resources to Australians? What did you think of the allegations of—” “I am Australian, you dick,” I said, “I think it’s disgusting because Australia’s resources could provide for thousands of starving people, and we’re just letting them starve.” ” (Healey 186-187)
Analysis: Many current issues are brought in this passage. As Hurfest gets his real interview with Tegan, he right away tries to “break” her by bringing up questions that make her feel bad about herself and stir up emotions, making her feel bad about herself as well as angry, causing her to lash out and say things on camera that can once again get her into trouble. He was instigating and saying things to infuriate her, like implying that she is a waste of money, and that she is not a real citizen of Australia, even though she was really born there (and a long time before Hurfest was, ironically). This quote shows what I think is to be human. We can keep quiet and keep our heads down, or we can face our fears like what Tegan did when she talked to the media. We can fake a smile like Tegan had to, we can try our best to stay calm and collected, but sometimes we are pushed to far and we break. I also noticed that what Hurfest and many others are probably saying is another form of government conditioning through the use of the media and its devoted followers. It seems just as easy to do so today as it is in this dystopia to get people to basically become robots following what they see and hear.
6. Final Analysis of Social Critique There are many issues brought up throughout this whole book, many of which I mentioned in the passage analysis. In the book, water is limited to timed showers, and toilets have reverted to buckets that become compost for growing crops. This is smart, but how did the human race let the clean water issue become such a big problem in this society.
The dangers of overpopulation According to this article and my prior knowledge on the topic from my AP Environmental class, the environment, poverty, lack of food and water, and unemployment are just some of the issues that are caused by overpopulation. Overpopulation puts a strain on these other factors. For example, despite the unlikelihood of the planet running out of space to live in, many do not realize that humans that live in countries like America take up much more space that we need, while overpopulated places like India and China are having problems with that. I think people in our society today take things like access to food and safe drinking water for granted.
Citation: "Dangers of Overpopulation." Dangers of Overpopulation. English Online, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
7. Book 2 Introduction and Current Events Article
Alamut by Vladimir Bartol
Before reading this book, I had a fair understanding of the storyline already from the video game based off of it. Hasan ibn Sabbah is a self-proclaimed prophet, and he symbolizes the government of the time. Through the use of drugs and beautiful women, Sabbah manages to convince a group of elite fighters that he has access to heaven’s doors, causing them to believe anything and everything the man tells them. Could this be the social critique in that time be the author pointing out the deception of governments and how they gain control over their people?
Government control of people The author of this article, Sen Leahy, mentions that the government is controlling us more than we are controlling it. It is also mentioned that there has been an increase in surveillance powers of the National Security Agency. Leahy is concerned that our private lives are too easily accessible to our government, ultimately giving them control over us they shouldn’t be able to reach. This also raises the concern of trust; does our government not trust us? Could any one of our citizens not be “loyal” and actually be a terrorist? These are the questions the author of this article thinks our government is asking about us, and is the reason for their more in depth investigation of ordinary everyday people. Leahy on the other hand, believes that the government has come up with this plan to keep us under them and do as they tell us, having complete control over us.
Citation: Sen. "Sen. Leahy on NSA Spying: We Need to Stop Government from Controlling American People [VIDEO]." The Daily Caller. The Daily Center, 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
8. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “I’d like to ask you something,” ibn Tahir resumed. “A while ago down below I saw them whipping a man tied to a pillar. I’d like to know what he did to deserve that punishment.” “He committed a grievous crime, mr friend. He’d been assigned to accompany a caravan traveling to Turkestan. The drivers weren’t Ismailis and drank wine on the journey. They offered him some and he accepted, even though Sayyiduna has strictly forbidden it.” “Sayyiduna forbids it?” ibn Tahir asks in amazement. “That injunction holds for all believers and comes straight from the Prophet!” “You wouldn’t understand yet. Sayyiduna can forbid or permit whatever he wants. We Ismailis are bound to obey only him.” Ibn Tahir was incredulous, and he began to feel vaguely anxious. He probed further. “Earlier you said my predecessor got sent to the infantry. What did he do wrong?” “He talked about women, and very indecently.” “Is that forbidden?” “Absolutely. We are an elite corps, and when we’re inducted we’ll serve only Sayyiduna.” “What are we being inducted into?” “I already told you—the fedayeen. Once we finish school and pass all the tests, that’s the level we’ll be at.” “What are fedayeen?” “A feday is an Ismaili who’s ready to sacrifice himself without hesitation at the order of the supreme commander. If he dies in the process, he becomes a martyr. If he completes the assignment and lives, he’s promoted to dai and even higher.” ” (Bartol, 35-36)
Analysis: It this quote, the “government” is known as the supreme leader of these Ismaili extremists, also known as Sayyiduna. He stays in his castle and does not let anyone he doesn’t consider important see him. He makes whatever rules he wants and has somehow managed to condition an entire people to obey his every word. Extremist groups are a problem we also face in today’s society, and has been a growing fear even since this book was written. It was published in English for the first time just two years ago, which was not long after the 9/11 attacks in America. More than 20,000 copies of this book were sold in English when it was first translated. Many extremist groups act in the way that the characters are portrayed in this novel. A lot of them are tricked into thinking and acting a certain way, and will do anything for their master, including die, without hesitation. Could this correlate to the belief that the government tries to control its people in a similar way, especially those in countries with extreme groups?
9. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “By the beard of the martyr Ali!” he exclaimed. “Sayyiduna was telling the truth. He really does have the key to the gates of paradise.” He hugged and kissed them all, one after the other. “I just hope I haven’t died,” he suddenly worried. “Don’t be afraid,” Fatima reassured him. “Tomorrow you’ll be back at Alamut serving Sayyiduna. “Do you know him too?” “We’re in paradise!” “Then you also know that we gave it to the infidels this morning?” “Of course we know. You pursued the Turks and ibn Tahir seized the enemy flag.” “Allah is great! If I told this to Naim or Obeida, they’d laugh in my face.” “Is their faith so weak?” “By the beard of the Prophet, I wouldn’t believe it either, if the two of them told me something like this. Where are ibn Tahir and Yusuf?” “Also in paradise, like you. Once you’re back in the other world, you can meet and tell each other what you’ve seen and experienced.” “It’s true, in Allah’s name. Strange things can happen to an honest Muslim.” ”(Bartol, 207)
Analysis: This is the aftermath of Sayyiduna drugging one of the novice men after a victory, and bringing them to his “paradise garden” to wake up in. Suleiman was the first to be sent to “heaven.” Sayyiduna being the government in this setting, controlled the novice by telling them he had the keys to the gates to heaven and that he would send each of them there for one night. After being drugged with hashish and waking up surrounded by beautiful women who he thought were houris of heaven, Suleiman was convinced. I think it is too easy for the Sayyiduna and the government to exploit these young men’s faith and use it to their own benefit.
10. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “You’ve been to see Sayyiduna!” Suleiman grabbed ibn Tahir by the shoulders and gazed searchingly into his eyes. “You know?” “Sure. Naim told us.” He shook loose of his grip. He picked up the bag holding the items Hasan had given him. Yusuf and Suleiman looked at him woefully. Jafar nodded to Naim. The two of them withdrew from the room. “It’s hard, but I have to keep it silent,” ibn Tahir said when they were alone. “At least tell us if we’re going back to paradise.” Suleiman’s voice was imploring and helpless. “Be patient. Do everything Sayyiduna orders you to do. He’s looking out for all of us.” He said goodbye to them both. “We’re fedayeen,” he added, “the ones who sacrifice themselves. We’ve seen the reward, so we’re not afraid of death.” ” (Bartol, 284)
Analysis: This quote takes place after all the fedayeen (soldiers in training) had already been temporarily sent to ‘paradise’. The main character, ibn Tahir, had been just spoken to their master and government leader who is rarely seen, and was told that he had to sacrifice his life for the ‘greater good’. When I read something like this, it reminds me of extremists like members of Al Qaeda, who also believed they were sacrificing their lives for a greater good in attempt to make political statements with terrorist attacks. Unfortunately for Ibn Tahir, that is what his master Sayyiduna had convinced him to do, which he agreed to without hesitation. This blind faith and willingness ibn Tahir showed had an effect that most likely further convinced the other fedayeen to follow Sayyiduna and his government as well. Unfortunately, ibn Tahir’s blind faith is not entirely his fault because he was conditioned into submission which is just a part of human nature. Anyone can be conditioned; ibn Tahir and the other fedayeen were just put in situations where they had little room to think differently.
11. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ The supreme leader appeared on the upper terrace. A hush descended. In a voice that reached all the way down to the last horseman on the lower terrace, he proclaimed, “Faithful Ismailis! My grand dai has just announced the decisions that our council of leaders adopted today. We have truly grown powerful. But this power of ours depends completely on you and all of us being obedient. You carry out the orders of your immediate superiors, and they carry out my orders. I, in turn, remain obedient to the direction of the All-Highest who sent me here. Directly or indirectly, all of us fulfill His commandments. Now go back to your duties, and quit waiting for the Mahdi. Because the al-Mahdi has come!” ” (Bartol, 375)
Analysis: In this passage, the government is run by someone known as the supreme leader. The reason he made this speech outside of the castle of Alamut was to let its inhabitants know that he would be running this government the way he wanted; through obedience. Once again, blind faith manages to be something that they all fall for, which is also a part of being human. They do not know any better or to think for themselves because they have always followed a leader of some sort. This causes the people of Alamut to be happy with whatever the supreme leader says, which is why they proceed to cheer for him after he had just told them they had to obey orders from him through their superiors.
12. Final Analysis of Social Critique This book has a lot of social critique on the extremist groups that exist in the world today. It is an inside view of why the people involved are so devoted. There is a supreme leader, who manages to control a group of people who believe that what they are doing for their leader is either for a greater good, or they had been convinced that they would be rewarded in the afterlife for their devotion. In the context of modern world history, the extremist group would have been the Al Qaeda group and the supreme leader would have been someone like Osama bin Laden.
Dempsey Explains Danger Posed By Extremist Groups In this article, Army General Martin E. Dempsey goes on to explain that there are many extremist groups that threaten the United States. One group, Dempsey claims, must be so extreme or it will lose support, meaning that their little ‘government’ of a group is probably using fear to keep its members afraid to leave or cross them. He also said that many of the extremist groups have “popped up” because of the falling apart governments. This is much like in the novel Alamut because a strong leader swoops in the be the new ‘government’ when the old one started to fall apart.
Citation: Roulo, Claudette. "United States Department of Defense." Defense.gov News Article: Dempsey Explains Danger Posed By Extremist Groups. DoD News, Defense Media Activity, 24 July 2014. Web.
13. Book 3 Introduction and Current Events Article
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
This book is a dystopian novel about an island in the future where society is seemingly perfect and utopian, and the government makes sure of that. The government controls the weather, keeps everyone on the island in a ‘bubble’ of ignorance; they have no idea what happens to people when they are sent away- to the other side of the island. The main character Honor and her family come to the island but do not follow the rules the government expects all of its citizens to follow. Based on the back cover, I believe that Honor and her family are banished from the island somehow for breaking the rules and are sent to ‘the other side of the island’ where they probably discover the truth about the island. Assuming the story will follow the same base of all dystopian literatures, Honor and her family will most likely break free from the government’s hold and help the rest of the population to see the truth and do the same. Before reading, I expect the author’s social critique to be about our government keeping secrets from its citizens and keeping them from seeing what is really going on.
Why Is the Government Withholding Documents About JFK's Assassination? This article appears to be just one example of the government keeping secrets- people don’t seem to notice what they didn’t know to look for. This article has to do with the government having lied by omission, which is most likely a common thing done in “The Other Side of the Island”.
Citation: Baker, Russ. "Why Is the Government Withholding Documents About JFK's Assassination?" Alternet. WhoWhatWhy.com, 1 June 2012. Web.
14. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “Honor,” said Mrs. Whyte. “You come from the North. What’s the North like now? Are there polar bears up there in the Northern Islands?” Some of the girls giggled. “I saw one.” Honor said from her place up on the step ladder. The giggling stopped. Mrs. Whyte looked so severe that Honor’s heart began pounding. “We do not lie in this classroom,” said Mrs. Whyte. “We do not exaggerate or tell untruths, ever.” Honor flinched. “Do you know what happens to children who lie?” “I didn’t lie . . . I really . . . It was swimming,” Honor spluttered. She remembered her mother calling after her, be careful, sweetie! “I think it was another kind of bear.” Mrs. Whyte’s face softened. She helped Honor off the ladder. “Oh, now I see what you meant,” she said kindly. “That’s absolutely right.” And as Honor took her seat, Mrs. Whyte told the children, “The Polar Seas and Northern Islands are Enclosed.” [...] Honor shook her head. She wanted to say, “No, the Northern Islands aren’t perfect. Some days are sunny and some days are cold.” ” (Goodman, 14-15)
Analysis: Obviously the teacher is lying to the young and influential children, who are still too young to realize that they are being lied to by their teacher and even their government. Since Honor was actually in the Northern Islands, unlike any of the other children or the teacher, she would know that there are polar bears there and that it is not always sunny and perfect there. This quote is from Honor’s first day going to school on the Island, and the rules are very strict and obviously different from what she is used to. In this quote, even her own mother told her to be careful- as if saying the wrong thing is dangerous in this society? The teacher, Mrs. Whyte, uses facial expression to manipulate Honor’s mind/scare her into saying what the government wants the children in the classroom to be hearing, and not the truth about the Northern Islands which are kept a secret from them.
15. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ ”My bear,” said Honor, scooping up her old worn teddy. “My coffeepot!” her mother cried, and rushed with it to the galley kitchen. “Oh, he’s been torn,” Honor said. Her bear was badly injured, lumpy from lost stuffing. “He’s been searched,” her father murmured, examining the ripped seam in the bear’s back. “Look at this, Pamela.” “What are they searching for? asked Honor. But her parents didn’t answer. There were sheets and blankets, pillows, clothes, dishes for the kitchen, pots and pans. There were no electronics, no computers, televisions, or books allowed in private homes, because of Safety Measures. Children could read and study books from school, and when they were old enough, they could borrow books from the school library, but there were no new books printed. There were no authors, except for Earth Mother herself. She and her Corporation Councilors wrote the laws and established Safety Stations on each block, with call buttons for emergencies. At that time in the Colonies there were no telephones in houses. This was part of building a Safe and Secure community. ” (Goodman, 19-20)
Analysis: This quote reminds me a lot about Fahrenheit 451; no books allowed in homes or new ones allowed to be printed, and Earth Mother took credit for those that were allowed? That sounds to me like Earth Mother and the rest of the government are pretending that they created history and are trying to keep everyone in the population in a bubble that lacks proper knowledge. This was also something I noticed in the last quote I chose, when Mrs. Whyte was making sure all the children got the correct and “true” information. Honor knows all of this information because she and her family had to learn it before being allowed to live on the island, and it is what the children are taught in school. Is this a possible direction our society is headed? Is it possible that the government and schools might keep information from its citizens/children, who are the future?
16. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “If we can’t make our own maps, we have to accept Hers,” said Pamela. “And follow Her Directives,” said Mr. Thompson. “Was there ever a time before Her?” Mrs. Thompson murmured. “Will there be a time after Her? That’s more to the point,” said Will. “If you believe the Forecaster . . .” Honor turned her head in the dark toward Helix, but he kept still. “I don’t believe there is a Forecaster,” said Pamela. “I think those messages come straight from Earth Mother. I think the Counter-Directives are a trap for Partisans.” “You think they come from the Communication Bureau?” “Absolutely,” said Pamela. “I think they’ve got a special office to write those up.” “It’s an elaborate trap, then,” said Mr. Thompson. “No single person could print all those leaflets and drop them into the City.” “That’s why they call him the Prophet,” said Will. “No,” said Pamela. “No one could do that without getting caught. The leaflets come from the Communication Bureau.” ” (Goodman, 50)
Analysis: The adults are arguing over whether the Earth Mother is telling the truth or lying about a lot of things, like if there really is someone (a prophet) who predicts the forecast, or if all comes from her; or if there is another way to find out. This scene occurs when a storm hits without warning, and the adults along with the children enter into Helix’s family’s safe room. This passage is meant to bring up some important uncertainties that the citizens of this island should be bringing up into question. If their hunches are right, what else is Earth Mother not telling the truth about? I believe it is a part of being human to ask questions and not just blindly follow what you are told; something that people are fortunately not to scared to talk about so far in the book.
17. Passage Analysis
Quote: “ “What will you do with it?” Honor asked. “Take the Weather Station.” “The one of Island 364? You can’t pull it down. It’s too big!” “We’re not going to take it down. We’re going to take over.We’re going to hack into the computers there and seize the network. Partisans on Island 323 have already seized theirs. Partisans in the North have taken a station there. If we can occupy this one, we can connect with them. We’ll join their network. From there we’re deregulate the clocks. We’ll reprogram the projection booth in the City. Everyone will know we have begun.” “Begun what?” asked Honor. “The revolution to take Her down.” “You’re a Reverse Engineer,” Honor whispered. Will wrapped his arms around her and said, “Don’t look at me like that.” “You’re trying to crack the ceiling,” Honor said. “You’ve learned one thing in school,” her father said. “You’ve learned it over and over again until it seems true. We can’t crack the ceiling over the Polar Seas. There aren’t enough of us yet. The Corporation is too powerful.” “Do you really want to go back to Old Weather?” Honor asked. “Don’t you see?” Will told her. “We’ve got Old Weather.” “But the Colonies are safe.” “No, sweetheart,” said Will. “The Colonies are not safe. Earth Mother regulates the light and the night sky and the people in the cities. She covers the sky with her overlay. She conceals the real moon and stars-” “To protect us!” Honor cut in. ” (Goodman, 232-233)
Analysis: This quote takes place when Honor’s father Will has just been reunited with his daughter after she tried to run away and he tells her of his plan with the other Partisans to take over a weather controlling tower and shut it off. I think the purpose of them bringing back the old natural weather patterns is to show the rest of the population that Earth Mother had just been ceiling off the rest of the world from their population to keep them under her control, and not to “protect” them. As Will also mentioned in the quote, Partisans on other islands have already begun to do the same, so they are not the only ones thinking about revolting; but it does seem that, just as suspected, this different thinking and motivation to revolt against the Earth Mother is spreading like wild fire. Even when Will says “..there aren’t enough of us yet”, he obviously believes that even more people will be joining the revolution soon. Of course, Honor does not understand why what her father is telling her is good. This is because of what the Honor’s school has drilled into her and all the other children’s heads; that the Earth Mother is good and what she does protects them. I also believe that this depiction of the way the children advocate for what they have been taught represents what kids do today with things like the internet. Since this book was published in 2008, technology and the internet had come a long way. In today’s society, I often notice people advocating in the same way for things they see on TV/read on the internet, because they honestly believe it to be true.
18. Final Analysis of Social Critique
This book has a lot of social critique about today’s society and especially children. Since they are so young and their minds still developing, they are very vulnerable when it comes to just about everything. They believe everything they see on TV and the internet, so imagine what they would believe if their teachers were the ones lying to them? In this story, that’s exactly what the government did; the Earth Mother had schools teaching young children- which are literally the future- that everything Earth Mother had done was to protect them, and that they would have to be the ones to keep that ‘tradition’ going in the future. Luckily, some of the adults and Honor and Helix eventually realized that you can’t control every little thing and everyone; and that She was actually trying to keep people from doing what they wanted rather than “protecting” them. This could relate to today’s society because a lot of people do not believe everything they see or read and believe that governments, especially in other countries, lie to their citizens to keep them from freedom.
Why You Can’t Help Believing Everything You Read This article explains human nature through a psychology study. I know that when hearing this, you probably assume that everyone who read it also ironically believes what they read from this article, but personally I believe in psychological studies after taking the class for only half a year so far. This article mentions two psychologists who studied the human mind and its reaction to new information. This is similar to what I have studied in class about cognition playing a role in what we only initially believe; and that we may realize the truth later on. This is shown in the book “The Other Side of the Island” as well because the Partisans that decided to revolt didn’t do it right away when they moved to the Island; it happened years after the Enclosure.
Citation: "Why You Can’t Help Believing Everything You Read." PsyBlog RSS. N.p., 17 Sept. 2009. Web.
Government
1. Book 1 Introduction and Current Events Article
"When We Wake" by Karen Healey is about a young girl named Tegan who, after dying and being cryogenically frozen for 100 years, is revived and is now government property. Assuming this story goes about the basic storyline almost all dystopian literatures do, Tegan will soon realize that this society is not what it seems. It may appear to be a perfect utopian society, but in reality it is the exact opposite. When Tegan wakes up, she is locked in a government facility and does not know what happened. This would be frightening news to anyone; everyone she ever cared about would have been dead for a long time. She would never be able to see her friends and family again, the people that she loved would have already moved on. Since she was just a 16 year old girl, she probably did not have any kids who could have become her descendants. Based on the description, the focus of this book is to address the issue of government control over society. This could be interpreted as social critique of today's society and government; could the government keep whoever they wanted locked somewhere, even an innocent teenage girl?
Social conditioning article
How easy is it to condition an entire population? Could that be what the government is already doing? Mass societal 'brainwashing' and conspiracy theories is all this may sound like; but in reality, it is very easy to 'control' or get others to do something using operant conditioning techniques that I also learned about in psychology class. This article explains something called the Sabido Method, which is just one way media can intertwine with conditioning. "the Sabido Method is based on character development and plot lines that provide the audience with a range of characters that they can engage with — some good, some not so good — and follow as they evolve and change." In other words, the media introduces a character, then through what is commonly known as 'character development,' makes it so the character seems to have changed or become a different person, whether it be better or worse. "Change is the key to the Sabido methodology. Characters may begin the series exhibiting the antithesis of the values being taught, but through interaction with other characters, twists and turns in the plot, and sometimes even outside intervention, come to see the value of the program’s underlying message." What this means is that through the Sabido Method, the underlying message may be displayed as the opposite of what the program's intended message originally is. In other words, it is believed that societies can be conditioned to think different ways through attachment they feel with characters, as they may not realize the change in the characters original ideology. (Social Learning Theory: Bandura, 1977 & Social Cognitive Theory: Bandura, 1986)
Citation:
"OPERANT CONDITIONING." Operant Conditioning *. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
2. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “I just ... I just don’t want to stay here much longer. I never see anyone my age.” “You’re under a lot of stress,” he said. “It will get easier.” He sounded as though he meant it. “When are you going to let me out?” I groped for something stupidly far away, just so that he could reassure me. “Like, in a year?” He should have laughed at my ludicrous suggestion. Instead, he looked very serious. “There will probably be a fairly lengthy transition period—for your own health and safety as much as anything.” Ice settled in my stomach. “I don’t want that. I want to leave now.” “Tegan, where will you go?” “That’s up to me,” I told him. “Don’t be so childish.” Wow. I didn’t like him, but I didn’t think Dawson was evil. Patronizing, and with no idea how to talk to teenagers, but not really a bad man. After all, he was in charge of a project trying to save soldier’s lives. But you could have asked anyone in the progressive movements of my time and they’d tell you there were plenty of mostly okay people doing bad things, thinking they were right. People like Alex and Dalmar came up with all sorts of ways to deal with those people, to force them to change what they did. I hadn’t been as into it as they were, but I’d paid attention all the same. What I needed was leverage. And I was the only leverage I had. “I'm not a hunger strike,” I said. “Effective immediately.” ” (Healey, 37-38)
Analysis:
A lot has happened in these first few chapters since the introduction; I have learned that back in the 21st century, Tegan signed legal papers to donate her organs or body to science if she were to die suddenly. she did die, but she was then cryogenically frozen and revived more than 100 years later. Because she had signed those papers, Tegan is “property” of the government, and they are keeping her locked in an underground government base and running analysis tests on her. Despite there being nothing in the outside world left for her, Tegan still feels that she has rights and should be able to leave. Tegan asks questions to the Colonel and her doctor Marie but they often avoid her questions and try to change the subject. Tegan decides to use the only ‘leverage’ she has, meaning herself, being she is an asset to the government. She stages a hunger and talking strike to get the Colonel to do as she asks.
In this quote, Tegan also talks about her friends Alex and Dalmar who were activists in their time, and how there are “mostly okay people” who would do bad things; but these people thought they were always doing the right thing. Tegan must have seen Colonel Dawson as that almost okay person, who just thought he was doing the right thing. Unfortunately for him, Tegan had plans to get her way which probably set Dawson’s work back, causing him to eventually have to give in and answer some of her questions.
3. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ Besides, Hurfest wasn’t threatening me with anything but his tiny bumblecam, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with that. “Don’t you think you have an obligation to speak to the people of Australia, Tegan?” he said. “They paid a great deal for you with their tax dollars.” That hit a nerve. “I’m a person, not property,” I snarled, and then remembered, “No comment!” Hurfest’s smile sharpened, like a shark scenting blood in the water. I'm a city girl, and I don’t know much about sea predators, but I could tell you that smile was trouble. “Your father was a soldier killed in action, wasn’t he? Do you think only the army should have this technology? “Leave the girl alone,” an older lady told him. Hurfest ignored her. “What do you think about the allegations of the Inheritors of the Earth?” “Never heard of them.” I knew I should shut up, but his voice was burrowing into my ears, and his horrible little camera kept buzzing around my face. There was no way to stop it from getting a good shot, short of smacking it out of the air. Which was assault on private property, Marie had explained to me, and not the kind of legal trouble I needed. “I mean, no comment.” ” (Healey, 54)
Analysis:
In this quote Tegan’s doctor and now host, Marie, took her to the supermarket for what was supposed to be some normal shopping, before being ambushed by a news reporter who went on to make things up about Tegan and get her into legal trouble with the government. When he implied that Tegan was property of the government by rudely mentioning how much she ‘cost’ to taxpayers, Tegan became furious and accidentally spoke to the reporter, who then mentioned her words in the media as if she had given him an exclusive interview. All she really did was react the way any teenage girl under that amount of stress would have in her situation.
There was some foreshadowing when Tegan mentioned that she could tell that Hurfest’s smile was trouble, since what she said back to him later got her in legal trouble. It is also ironic that Tegan refers to him as a predator and a shark; news reporters are often seen as the same thing in today’s society, because they will continuously badger celebrities and leave them no privacy for a ‘story.’
4. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ People were still burning fossil fuels, which came as a shock. The cars in Melbourne ran on batteries, and no one except the military and the very, very rich were flying anymore. But not everybody had been able to make the switch from fossil fuels, and countries with plentiful oil supplies had managed to offset the cost of switching to clean power by selling oil cheaply to countries that couldn’t afford to go clean, or didn’t have the infrastructure to manage massive electrical grids. Wealthy governments had essentially exported their pollution, and now they blamed the polluters, the thirdies they regarded as stupid and backward because they still used their hoarded oil for transportation and electricity generation, because they ate meat instead of raising protein crops (genetically modified, patented, expensive crops), because they used coal, wood, and gas to cook their food instead of using clean electricity from their nonexistent solar panels. ” (Healey 117)
Analysis:
The governments of wealthy countries have all managed to convince their people that everyone else’s ways in the world are twisted, simply because not everyone can afford the casualties of their country. In this dystopian future, war is still going on. ‘Which energy source is the best to use’ is still being argued over. Overpopulation and food and water resources are still both growing problems in this futuristic society, which is what is currently happening in the real world today. Some other places, like third world countries for example, are seen as “stuck in the past” to people today, who have ideals and new age technology that some others still don’t. Personally, I think this quote is completely relatable to today, as I learned last year in my AP Environmental class. Overpopulation is literally a growing problem in less educated countries that don’t know enough about contraceptives. Some regions in the world are unable to grow certain crops, do not have access to drinkable water, and are too poor to afford to buy any of these things. Much like the present, the ‘gap’ between the wealthy and the poor is becoming bigger and bigger in this futuristic society.
5. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “What do you feel about the army spending so much money on Operation New Beginning when they’ve only managed to resurrect one teenage girl?” “I’m very happy I get a second chance, and I hope our soldiers will, too.” “But it’s been billions of dollars, Tegan. You’ve cost this country an enormous amount.” “I'm very grateful.” I said, forcing the words out through my stiff smile. It made sense that Hurfest was playing this note over and over—it was what had made me lose it in that first “interview.” I had been warned about this. But I hated him, and I was furious, and having gotten me to that emotional straining point, this was when he chose to break me entirely. “What do you think of the No Migrant policy, Tegan?” Tatia was making a gesture that meant All-Purpose Reply #3. All-Purpose Reply #3 was, “I think policy should be left to policymakers.” “I think No Migrant is disgusting.” Tatia began waving her hands at me so fast, I thought they might detach from their wrists.Hurfest had perked right up. “Because your resurrection contravenes the stated aims of the policy, which are to preserve Australian resources to Australians? What did you think of the allegations of—” “I am Australian, you dick,” I said, “I think it’s disgusting because Australia’s resources could provide for thousands of starving people, and we’re just letting them starve.” ” (Healey 186-187)
Analysis:
Many current issues are brought in this passage. As Hurfest gets his real interview with Tegan, he right away tries to “break” her by bringing up questions that make her feel bad about herself and stir up emotions, making her feel bad about herself as well as angry, causing her to lash out and say things on camera that can once again get her into trouble. He was instigating and saying things to infuriate her, like implying that she is a waste of money, and that she is not a real citizen of Australia, even though she was really born there (and a long time before Hurfest was, ironically). This quote shows what I think is to be human. We can keep quiet and keep our heads down, or we can face our fears like what Tegan did when she talked to the media. We can fake a smile like Tegan had to, we can try our best to stay calm and collected, but sometimes we are pushed to far and we break.
I also noticed that what Hurfest and many others are probably saying is another form of government conditioning through the use of the media and its devoted followers. It seems just as easy to do so today as it is in this dystopia to get people to basically become robots following what they see and hear.
6. Final Analysis of Social Critique
There are many issues brought up throughout this whole book, many of which I mentioned in the passage analysis. In the book, water is limited to timed showers, and toilets have reverted to buckets that become compost for growing crops. This is smart, but how did the human race let the clean water issue become such a big problem in this society.
The dangers of overpopulation
According to this article and my prior knowledge on the topic from my AP Environmental class, the environment, poverty, lack of food and water, and unemployment are just some of the issues that are caused by overpopulation. Overpopulation puts a strain on these other factors. For example, despite the unlikelihood of the planet running out of space to live in, many do not realize that humans that live in countries like America take up much more space that we need, while overpopulated places like India and China are having problems with that. I think people in our society today take things like access to food and safe drinking water for granted.
Citation:
"Dangers of Overpopulation." Dangers of Overpopulation. English Online, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
7. Book 2 Introduction and Current Events Article
Before reading this book, I had a fair understanding of the storyline already from the video game based off of it. Hasan ibn Sabbah is a self-proclaimed prophet, and he symbolizes the government of the time. Through the use of drugs and beautiful women, Sabbah manages to convince a group of elite fighters that he has access to heaven’s doors, causing them to believe anything and everything the man tells them. Could this be the social critique in that time be the author pointing out the deception of governments and how they gain control over their people?
Government control of people
The author of this article, Sen Leahy, mentions that the government is controlling us more than we are controlling it. It is also mentioned that there has been an increase in surveillance powers of the National Security Agency. Leahy is concerned that our private lives are too easily accessible to our government, ultimately giving them control over us they shouldn’t be able to reach. This also raises the concern of trust; does our government not trust us? Could any one of our citizens not be “loyal” and actually be a terrorist? These are the questions the author of this article thinks our government is asking about us, and is the reason for their more in depth investigation of ordinary everyday people. Leahy on the other hand, believes that the government has come up with this plan to keep us under them and do as they tell us, having complete control over us.
Citation:
Sen. "Sen. Leahy on NSA Spying: We Need to Stop Government from Controlling American People [VIDEO]." The Daily Caller. The Daily Center, 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
8. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “I’d like to ask you something,” ibn Tahir resumed. “A while ago down below I saw them whipping a man tied to a pillar. I’d like to know what he did to deserve that punishment.” “He committed a grievous crime, mr friend. He’d been assigned to accompany a caravan traveling to Turkestan. The drivers weren’t Ismailis and drank wine on the journey. They offered him some and he accepted, even though Sayyiduna has strictly forbidden it.” “Sayyiduna forbids it?” ibn Tahir asks in amazement. “That injunction holds for all believers and comes straight from the Prophet!” “You wouldn’t understand yet. Sayyiduna can forbid or permit whatever he wants. We Ismailis are bound to obey only him.” Ibn Tahir was incredulous, and he began to feel vaguely anxious. He probed further. “Earlier you said my predecessor got sent to the infantry. What did he do wrong?” “He talked about women, and very indecently.” “Is that forbidden?” “Absolutely. We are an elite corps, and when we’re inducted we’ll serve only Sayyiduna.” “What are we being inducted into?” “I already told you—the fedayeen. Once we finish school and pass all the tests, that’s the level we’ll be at.” “What are fedayeen?” “A feday is an Ismaili who’s ready to sacrifice himself without hesitation at the order of the supreme commander. If he dies in the process, he becomes a martyr. If he completes the assignment and lives, he’s promoted to dai and even higher.” ” (Bartol, 35-36)
Analysis:
It this quote, the “government” is known as the supreme leader of these Ismaili extremists, also known as Sayyiduna. He stays in his castle and does not let anyone he doesn’t consider important see him. He makes whatever rules he wants and has somehow managed to condition an entire people to obey his every word. Extremist groups are a problem we also face in today’s society, and has been a growing fear even since this book was written. It was published in English for the first time just two years ago, which was not long after the 9/11 attacks in America. More than 20,000 copies of this book were sold in English when it was first translated. Many extremist groups act in the way that the characters are portrayed in this novel. A lot of them are tricked into thinking and acting a certain way, and will do anything for their master, including die, without hesitation. Could this correlate to the belief that the government tries to control its people in a similar way, especially those in countries with extreme groups?
9. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “By the beard of the martyr Ali!” he exclaimed. “Sayyiduna was telling the truth. He really does have the key to the gates of paradise.” He hugged and kissed them all, one after the other. “I just hope I haven’t died,” he suddenly worried. “Don’t be afraid,” Fatima reassured him. “Tomorrow you’ll be back at Alamut serving Sayyiduna. “Do you know him too?” “We’re in paradise!” “Then you also know that we gave it to the infidels this morning?” “Of course we know. You pursued the Turks and ibn Tahir seized the enemy flag.” “Allah is great! If I told this to Naim or Obeida, they’d laugh in my face.” “Is their faith so weak?” “By the beard of the Prophet, I wouldn’t believe it either, if the two of them told me something like this. Where are ibn Tahir and Yusuf?” “Also in paradise, like you. Once you’re back in the other world, you can meet and tell each other what you’ve seen and experienced.” “It’s true, in Allah’s name. Strange things can happen to an honest Muslim.” ”(Bartol, 207)
Analysis:
This is the aftermath of Sayyiduna drugging one of the novice men after a victory, and bringing them to his “paradise garden” to wake up in. Suleiman was the first to be sent to “heaven.” Sayyiduna being the government in this setting, controlled the novice by telling them he had the keys to the gates to heaven and that he would send each of them there for one night. After being drugged with hashish and waking up surrounded by beautiful women who he thought were houris of heaven, Suleiman was convinced. I think it is too easy for the Sayyiduna and the government to exploit these young men’s faith and use it to their own benefit.
10. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “You’ve been to see Sayyiduna!” Suleiman grabbed ibn Tahir by the shoulders and gazed searchingly into his eyes. “You know?” “Sure. Naim told us.” He shook loose of his grip. He picked up the bag holding the items Hasan had given him. Yusuf and Suleiman looked at him woefully. Jafar nodded to Naim. The two of them withdrew from the room. “It’s hard, but I have to keep it silent,” ibn Tahir said when they were alone. “At least tell us if we’re going back to paradise.” Suleiman’s voice was imploring and helpless. “Be patient. Do everything Sayyiduna orders you to do. He’s looking out for all of us.” He said goodbye to them both. “We’re fedayeen,” he added, “the ones who sacrifice themselves. We’ve seen the reward, so we’re not afraid of death.” ” (Bartol, 284)
Analysis:
This quote takes place after all the fedayeen (soldiers in training) had already been temporarily sent to ‘paradise’. The main character, ibn Tahir, had been just spoken to their master and government leader who is rarely seen, and was told that he had to sacrifice his life for the ‘greater good’. When I read something like this, it reminds me of extremists like members of Al Qaeda, who also believed they were sacrificing their lives for a greater good in attempt to make political statements with terrorist attacks. Unfortunately for Ibn Tahir, that is what his master Sayyiduna had convinced him to do, which he agreed to without hesitation. This blind faith and willingness ibn Tahir showed had an effect that most likely further convinced the other fedayeen to follow Sayyiduna and his government as well. Unfortunately, ibn Tahir’s blind faith is not entirely his fault because he was conditioned into submission which is just a part of human nature. Anyone can be conditioned; ibn Tahir and the other fedayeen were just put in situations where they had little room to think differently.
11. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ The supreme leader appeared on the upper terrace. A hush descended. In a voice that reached all the way down to the last horseman on the lower terrace, he proclaimed, “Faithful Ismailis! My grand dai has just announced the decisions that our council of leaders adopted today. We have truly grown powerful. But this power of ours depends completely on you and all of us being obedient. You carry out the orders of your immediate superiors, and they carry out my orders. I, in turn, remain obedient to the direction of the All-Highest who sent me here. Directly or indirectly, all of us fulfill His commandments. Now go back to your duties, and quit waiting for the Mahdi. Because the al-Mahdi has come!” ” (Bartol, 375)
Analysis:
In this passage, the government is run by someone known as the supreme leader. The reason he made this speech outside of the castle of Alamut was to let its inhabitants know that he would be running this government the way he wanted; through obedience. Once again, blind faith manages to be something that they all fall for, which is also a part of being human. They do not know any better or to think for themselves because they have always followed a leader of some sort. This causes the people of Alamut to be happy with whatever the supreme leader says, which is why they proceed to cheer for him after he had just told them they had to obey orders from him through their superiors.
12. Final Analysis of Social Critique
This book has a lot of social critique on the extremist groups that exist in the world today. It is an inside view of why the people involved are so devoted. There is a supreme leader, who manages to control a group of people who believe that what they are doing for their leader is either for a greater good, or they had been convinced that they would be rewarded in the afterlife for their devotion. In the context of modern world history, the extremist group would have been the Al Qaeda group and the supreme leader would have been someone like Osama bin Laden.
Dempsey Explains Danger Posed By Extremist Groups
In this article, Army General Martin E. Dempsey goes on to explain that there are many extremist groups that threaten the United States. One group, Dempsey claims, must be so extreme or it will lose support, meaning that their little ‘government’ of a group is probably using fear to keep its members afraid to leave or cross them. He also said that many of the extremist groups have “popped up” because of the falling apart governments. This is much like in the novel Alamut because a strong leader swoops in the be the new ‘government’ when the old one started to fall apart.
Citation:
Roulo, Claudette. "United States Department of Defense." Defense.gov News Article: Dempsey Explains Danger Posed By Extremist Groups. DoD News, Defense Media Activity, 24 July 2014. Web.
13. Book 3 Introduction and Current Events Article
by Allegra Goodman
This book is a dystopian novel about an island in the future where society is seemingly perfect and utopian, and the government makes sure of that. The government controls the weather, keeps everyone on the island in a ‘bubble’ of ignorance; they have no idea what happens to people when they are sent away- to the other side of the island. The main character Honor and her family come to the island but do not follow the rules the government expects all of its citizens to follow. Based on the back cover, I believe that Honor and her family are banished from the island somehow for breaking the rules and are sent to ‘the other side of the island’ where they probably discover the truth about the island. Assuming the story will follow the same base of all dystopian literatures, Honor and her family will most likely break free from the government’s hold and help the rest of the population to see the truth and do the same. Before reading, I expect the author’s social critique to be about our government keeping secrets from its citizens and keeping them from seeing what is really going on.
Why Is the Government Withholding Documents About JFK's Assassination?
This article appears to be just one example of the government keeping secrets- people don’t seem to notice what they didn’t know to look for. This article has to do with the government having lied by omission, which is most likely a common thing done in “The Other Side of the Island”.
Citation:
Baker, Russ. "Why Is the Government Withholding Documents About JFK's Assassination?" Alternet. WhoWhatWhy.com, 1 June 2012. Web.
14. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “Honor,” said Mrs. Whyte. “You come from the North. What’s the North like now? Are there polar bears up there in the Northern Islands?” Some of the girls giggled. “I saw one.” Honor said from her place up on the step ladder. The giggling stopped. Mrs. Whyte looked so severe that Honor’s heart began pounding. “We do not lie in this classroom,” said Mrs. Whyte. “We do not exaggerate or tell untruths, ever.” Honor flinched. “Do you know what happens to children who lie?” “I didn’t lie . . . I really . . . It was swimming,” Honor spluttered. She remembered her mother calling after her, be careful, sweetie! “I think it was another kind of bear.” Mrs. Whyte’s face softened. She helped Honor off the ladder. “Oh, now I see what you meant,” she said kindly. “That’s absolutely right.” And as Honor took her seat, Mrs. Whyte told the children, “The Polar Seas and Northern Islands are Enclosed.” [...] Honor shook her head. She wanted to say, “No, the Northern Islands aren’t perfect. Some days are sunny and some days are cold.” ” (Goodman, 14-15)
Analysis:
Obviously the teacher is lying to the young and influential children, who are still too young to realize that they are being lied to by their teacher and even their government. Since Honor was actually in the Northern Islands, unlike any of the other children or the teacher, she would know that there are polar bears there and that it is not always sunny and perfect there. This quote is from Honor’s first day going to school on the Island, and the rules are very strict and obviously different from what she is used to. In this quote, even her own mother told her to be careful- as if saying the wrong thing is dangerous in this society? The teacher, Mrs. Whyte, uses facial expression to manipulate Honor’s mind/scare her into saying what the government wants the children in the classroom to be hearing, and not the truth about the Northern Islands which are kept a secret from them.
15. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ ”My bear,” said Honor, scooping up her old worn teddy. “My coffeepot!” her mother cried, and rushed with it to the galley kitchen. “Oh, he’s been torn,” Honor said. Her bear was badly injured, lumpy from lost stuffing. “He’s been searched,” her father murmured, examining the ripped seam in the bear’s back. “Look at this, Pamela.” “What are they searching for? asked Honor. But her parents didn’t answer. There were sheets and blankets, pillows, clothes, dishes for the kitchen, pots and pans. There were no electronics, no computers, televisions, or books allowed in private homes, because of Safety Measures. Children could read and study books from school, and when they were old enough, they could borrow books from the school library, but there were no new books printed. There were no authors, except for Earth Mother herself. She and her Corporation Councilors wrote the laws and established Safety Stations on each block, with call buttons for emergencies. At that time in the Colonies there were no telephones in houses. This was part of building a Safe and Secure community. ” (Goodman, 19-20)
Analysis:
This quote reminds me a lot about Fahrenheit 451; no books allowed in homes or new ones allowed to be printed, and Earth Mother took credit for those that were allowed? That sounds to me like Earth Mother and the rest of the government are pretending that they created history and are trying to keep everyone in the population in a bubble that lacks proper knowledge. This was also something I noticed in the last quote I chose, when Mrs. Whyte was making sure all the children got the correct and “true” information. Honor knows all of this information because she and her family had to learn it before being allowed to live on the island, and it is what the children are taught in school. Is this a possible direction our society is headed? Is it possible that the government and schools might keep information from its citizens/children, who are the future?
16. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “If we can’t make our own maps, we have to accept Hers,” said Pamela. “And follow Her Directives,” said Mr. Thompson. “Was there ever a time before Her?” Mrs. Thompson murmured. “Will there be a time after Her? That’s more to the point,” said Will. “If you believe the Forecaster . . .” Honor turned her head in the dark toward Helix, but he kept still. “I don’t believe there is a Forecaster,” said Pamela. “I think those messages come straight from Earth Mother. I think the Counter-Directives are a trap for Partisans.” “You think they come from the Communication Bureau?” “Absolutely,” said Pamela. “I think they’ve got a special office to write those up.” “It’s an elaborate trap, then,” said Mr. Thompson. “No single person could print all those leaflets and drop them into the City.” “That’s why they call him the Prophet,” said Will. “No,” said Pamela. “No one could do that without getting caught. The leaflets come from the Communication Bureau.” ” (Goodman, 50)
Analysis:
The adults are arguing over whether the Earth Mother is telling the truth or lying about a lot of things, like if there really is someone (a prophet) who predicts the forecast, or if all comes from her; or if there is another way to find out. This scene occurs when a storm hits without warning, and the adults along with the children enter into Helix’s family’s safe room. This passage is meant to bring up some important uncertainties that the citizens of this island should be bringing up into question. If their hunches are right, what else is Earth Mother not telling the truth about? I believe it is a part of being human to ask questions and not just blindly follow what you are told; something that people are fortunately not to scared to talk about so far in the book.
17. Passage Analysis
Quote:
“ “What will you do with it?” Honor asked. “Take the Weather Station.” “The one of Island 364? You can’t pull it down. It’s too big!” “We’re not going to take it down. We’re going to take over.We’re going to hack into the computers there and seize the network. Partisans on Island 323 have already seized theirs. Partisans in the North have taken a station there. If we can occupy this one, we can connect with them. We’ll join their network. From there we’re deregulate the clocks. We’ll reprogram the projection booth in the City. Everyone will know we have begun.” “Begun what?” asked Honor. “The revolution to take Her down.” “You’re a Reverse Engineer,” Honor whispered. Will wrapped his arms around her and said, “Don’t look at me like that.” “You’re trying to crack the ceiling,” Honor said. “You’ve learned one thing in school,” her father said. “You’ve learned it over and over again until it seems true. We can’t crack the ceiling over the Polar Seas. There aren’t enough of us yet. The Corporation is too powerful.” “Do you really want to go back to Old Weather?” Honor asked. “Don’t you see?” Will told her. “We’ve got Old Weather.” “But the Colonies are safe.” “No, sweetheart,” said Will. “The Colonies are not safe. Earth Mother regulates the light and the night sky and the people in the cities. She covers the sky with her overlay. She conceals the real moon and stars-” “To protect us!” Honor cut in. ” (Goodman, 232-233)
Analysis:
This quote takes place when Honor’s father Will has just been reunited with his daughter after she tried to run away and he tells her of his plan with the other Partisans to take over a weather controlling tower and shut it off. I think the purpose of them bringing back the old natural weather patterns is to show the rest of the population that Earth Mother had just been ceiling off the rest of the world from their population to keep them under her control, and not to “protect” them. As Will also mentioned in the quote, Partisans on other islands have already begun to do the same, so they are not the only ones thinking about revolting; but it does seem that, just as suspected, this different thinking and motivation to revolt against the Earth Mother is spreading like wild fire. Even when Will says “..there aren’t enough of us yet”, he obviously believes that even more people will be joining the revolution soon. Of course, Honor does not understand why what her father is telling her is good. This is because of what the Honor’s school has drilled into her and all the other children’s heads; that the Earth Mother is good and what she does protects them. I also believe that this depiction of the way the children advocate for what they have been taught represents what kids do today with things like the internet. Since this book was published in 2008, technology and the internet had come a long way. In today’s society, I often notice people advocating in the same way for things they see on TV/read on the internet, because they honestly believe it to be true.
18. Final Analysis of Social Critique
This book has a lot of social critique about today’s society and especially children. Since they are so young and their minds still developing, they are very vulnerable when it comes to just about everything. They believe everything they see on TV and the internet, so imagine what they would believe if their teachers were the ones lying to them? In this story, that’s exactly what the government did; the Earth Mother had schools teaching young children- which are literally the future- that everything Earth Mother had done was to protect them, and that they would have to be the ones to keep that ‘tradition’ going in the future. Luckily, some of the adults and Honor and Helix eventually realized that you can’t control every little thing and everyone; and that She was actually trying to keep people from doing what they wanted rather than “protecting” them. This could relate to today’s society because a lot of people do not believe everything they see or read and believe that governments, especially in other countries, lie to their citizens to keep them from freedom.
Why You Can’t Help Believing Everything You Read
This article explains human nature through a psychology study. I know that when hearing this, you probably assume that everyone who read it also ironically believes what they read from this article, but personally I believe in psychological studies after taking the class for only half a year so far. This article mentions two psychologists who studied the human mind and its reaction to new information. This is similar to what I have studied in class about cognition playing a role in what we only initially believe; and that we may realize the truth later on. This is shown in the book “The Other Side of the Island” as well because the Partisans that decided to revolt didn’t do it right away when they moved to the Island; it happened years after the Enclosure.
Citation:
"Why You Can’t Help Believing Everything You Read." PsyBlog RSS. N.p., 17 Sept. 2009. Web.